The Latest Toy
by cookiemania789
Summary: One-shot Team 7, bonds that are strong ever since.


Lin: Wai! Wai! We posted something after a long, long, long time!

Kay: If the story sucks, sorry about that. I'm still suffering from writer's block so it may be very crappy.

Lin: Yep, yep. Also, we disclaim NARUTO it is created by Masashi Kishimoto.

Kay: Also, the information about the Kyubi no Kitsune was taken from Wikipedia.

Lin: Dedicated to a friend of mine who wanted me to write a Naruto story. My friend Nameless Killer!! (Sorry if this sucks).

Kay: One more warning. We haven't edited this much so it's a bit rough. We just had to post this since Nameless requested this a long time ago. One of these days we're going to edit it.

Lin: ENJOY!

* * *

Naruto Uzumaki was one of the most infamous pranksters in the village of Konoha. He was well known for desecrating historical symbols and cultural sites of the village. The Hokage himself, although a venerable and patient man, had at times clutched his chest from the insults Naruto threw at the village's elders. He narrowly avoided being killed by the Anbu with the help of Iruka and the third Hokage himself.

Naruto was also the most hated person in all of Konoha, not only because he was such an annoying brat but also because he is the container of the _Kyubi no Kistune_.

There are two common classifications of a Kitsune, the _zenko kistune_ and the _yako kitsune_.

Literally, the zenko means _'good foxes'_. They are believed to be the benevolent type out of all the celestial foxes. The yako, on the other hand, literally means '_outsider foxes'_ and are usually depicted as the mischievous and/or malicious type of foxes.

Legend often tells that a Kitsune's age can be identified with the number of tails they have, the greater the number of tails a kitsune has, the older and more powerful it is. The most number of tails it can grow is up to nine tails, and when the Kitsune gains its ninth tail its fur turns to white or gold. The Kyubi no Kitusne or the nine-tailed fox, has the ability to see and hear anything that is happening in the world.

Although Naruto was the container of one of the strongest Kyubis in the world, he was quite ignorant of it. The Kyubi no Kitsune that Naruto contained was one of the most powerful _yako _Kyubis, it destroyed villages, crumbled mountains, caused tsunamis, and killed thousands of innocent people. Hundreds of shinobis died fighting and protecting their own and neighboring villages.

Only one shinobi managed to seal the powerful youkai.

The foruth Hokage of Konoha, usually nicknamed as the yellow flash of Konoha, was the only person known to have dealt with the Kyubi. Hee chose Naruto as a container for the villagers to acknowledge Naruto not as a container of the demon who attacked but as a hero who aided in the defeat of the Kyubi.

Rather than being loved and praised, Naruto grew up as an outcast.

To honor the last wish of his late successor, the third Hokage enforced a decree to never talk or even mention a single word about the sealed Kyubi inside of Naruto, in high hoped that the children would not shun the blonde as their parents did. Everyone abided, but did nothing to appease the animosity of the villagers to the boy.

In fact, even the children who had no idea of the Kyubi caught the drifting abhorrence of their parents directed at Naruto.

**99999999**

"Oi, get out of the way!" Naruto heard the man growl out as he was pushed back making him fall face first on the ground. Naruto felt the rough dirt on his cheek, he let out a small groan but kept himself from lashing out. Another day of welcoming sunshine, he thought cryptically. Propping his right elbow for support, he tried pushing himself off the ground, but before he could even sit-up, the person who pushed him stepped on his back, none too lightly, and spat at the blonde's face.

Naruto clenched his jaw but didn't fight back.

They weren't exactly in a private room or area where no one can see the man's maltreatment towards the small defenseless kid, quite the contrary. In fact they were in the public square, with everybody's attention directed towards them as they watched the scene like a street show.

"Trash like you don't deserve to lie on the ground we step on." The man sneered. Naruto looked up at the man's face with a glare. He guessed the man to be in his mid-forties and a local farmer. The farmer's complexion was brown nearing the color black from overexposure to the sun. A few wrinkles framed his crude eyes which made him look much older than he really was. The farmer glared back at the boy and kicked him on the side.

Naruto gasped from the sudden hit and looked up at the farmer intensely then quickly withdrew his gaze before the man noticed. He glued his eyes shut trying to block out the memory of the same expression everyone in Konoha gave him.

He didn't need to remember.

The man gave him one last kick before placing his straw hat atop his head. He spat on Naruto one last time before walking away.

Naruto clutched the side that the man kicked and staggered to his feet. He let bit his lower lip trying to fight the urge to just lay on the street and cry. He kept his head down as he began to walk on the opposite direction.

He couldn't help but give a small, bitter smile to himself. It was a good thing that Iruka-sensei wasn't there to witness the pathetic scene. There was no need for needless bloodspill anyway.

Naruto stumbled his way through the streets. For his credit though, it wasn't such an easy task to traverse the sea of people. Needless to say, his reputation quite exceeded him and earned him quite a few _'fans'_. All though out his walk, he had been pushed aside and his foot stepped on by multiple passer-by's. After an hour of gritting his teeth and growling like an animal, he slipped in on the back alleys of the square and continued to his destination.

He let out a sigh when he saw one of the abandoned warehouses near the square. He clutched his side again and gasped as the sudden pain flooded his senses. He took in a shaky breath before falling on his knees from the pain that shot up from his side.

When the pain had slowly subsided, he stood up. A sad smile twitched at Naruto's little face while he wiped the tears, which 'spontaneously' ran down from his face, with his arm. He can't be seen crying by others or that would make them look down on him even more.

Naruto entered the abandoned warehouse and quickly took a seat near his favorite window.

With his face covered with tears and snot, he looked up at the window and saw a clear view of the monument of the past Hokages. He painfully smiled to himself.

******99999999**

Little Sakura watched quietly while one of her classmates was beaten black and blue by a _stranger_. She clutched her mother's yukata tightly her cotton candy, which she had begged her mother to buy for her, lay forgotten on the ground. She looked up at her mother's face and shakily let go of her mother's yukata. She let out a tiny squeak when her mother faced her.

She wanted to run away. This was not her mother. Her mother was kind, caring, gentle and most of all loved everyone.

No, Sakura shook her head, this was not her mother.

"Come on dear, we haven't bought the dango that your father wanted." Sakura stared at the scene, horrified.

"But okaa-san! M-my classmate! W-w-we gotta help him! Please!" She tried to resist her mother's pull on her arm. Sakura looked back at Naruto's beaten form as the man spat on him.

"Okaa-san!" Sakura cried out to her mother but it fell on deaf ears.

Sakura looked back again and saw Naruto struggle standing up. Tears rolled down her cheeks while her cotton candy got stepped on by her own mother.

99999999

Sasuke clenched his fists as he saw Naruto being beaten like a dog. His breath hitched in his throat when the man gave the prankster another kick. He felt like killing himself over and over.

He had never felt so useless in his entire life. There he was a few meters away, near enough to kick the man yet he couldn't move from his place. Uchiha, Sasuke, the last survivor of the feared Uchiha clan, was rooted on the ground, his whole muscles frozen.

He was pathetic.

How can he be stronger and avenge his clan when he couldn't even take a step forward and protect one of his classmates? He watched helplessly as Naruto bore every blow. The idiot didn't even fight back!

Before he realized what was happening, he saw the farmer pass by him. His body felt cold when he took a glance at the farmer's countenance. He felt more afraid of his own village than the other neighboring countries. The farmer was laughing and boasting about how he beat up a little boy—who, for the record, didn't even struggle.

When the man was no longer in view, he whipped his head towards Naruto's direction and saw his beaten classmate limp his way to the opposite route.

**99999999**

Sakura walked listlessly while her mother pulled her by the arm. She could see the irate expression on her mother's face as they walked around the streets. While Sakura sulked, her mother bought different necessities like hangers, clips, soap, et cetera and even bought another cotton candy for her.

Even though Sakura's sulking peeved her mother, she still tried to cheer her daughter up by telling her a funny—albeit corny—story about how the spork came to be.

Sakura didn't bulge.

After a while her mother gave up and continued to shop in silence. She left Sakura outside the store and told her to stay still.

Little Sakura played with the hem of her shirt and was constantly replaying the scene at the square. She bit her lip and sniffled as passer by's tried to comfort her, which she ignored.

With her naïve thinking, Sakura could hardly believe the townspeople's apathy towards the scene. Not one soul dared to stop the beating nor did they try to protest. It was as if Naruto was beaten just for the show.

She looked around to try and get the images out of her head when something suddenly caught her attention.

Even though her mother told her not to move, Sakura, without even thinking about it, left and ran to the opposite store. The salesman was busy debating the prices with another customer, that he didn't notice little Sakura, while smiling brightly, grab one of his merchandise and scurry back to the square.

**99999999**

Sasuke repeatedly kicked the ground.

He had lost Naruto because of the crowd. He had this sudden urge to follow the blonde idiot, just out of curiosity but had suddenly lost sight as he had just rounded the corner. He let out a sigh and glared at his house's front door. He shut his eyes tightly and shook his head, the images from this morning resurfacing.

He clenched his tiny fists for the nth time that day and hurriedly entered his house. He ran up and scavenged his entire room, turning everything upside down. He breathed out a small sigh when he found what he was looking for under the covers.

Little Sasuke smiled sadly as he grazed the surface of the object. He had wanted to throw it away since the massacre but couldn't bring himself to.

It was a gift that his mother gave him.

Sasuke stood up, bolted out of the house and went back to the square.

**99999999**

Naruto could feel the pain slowly disappear from his body. Ever since he could remember, he had this uncanny speed of recovering from physical injuries. He always told himself that it must have been because of the ramen that Iruka-sensei always treats him to dinner with.

He looked around his surrounding for the first time since he sat down. The place was really old and reeked of rust. He refrained from moving too much—which is a big thing for Naruto—since the place looked really flimsy. He once again stared at the Hokage monument and placed his head on his palm.

He didn't hear the little shuffle of footsteps outside, nor did he hear the creaking of the door.

"N-Naruto? Are you here?" Naruto heard a soft call from the other room. He quickly hid himself behind an upturned cabinet and waited for the person to pass by.

He listened to every footstep intently, nervously.

Sakura sighed. She thought Naruto would surely be there, seeing as she always saw him enter the abandoned building every after school. She looked around again and felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand. The building was creepy and old. She always heard rumors of a ghost residing in there.

She jumped when she heard a loud thud from the other room and then heard the door behind her open. She stiffly looked behind her and was relieved when she saw a red faced—from anger—Uchiha. He was clutching his foot and was cursing quite profoundly.

"Sasuke-kun!" She breathed out, relieved.

Sasuke quickly looked up and ended up hurting himself again. He let out a series of profanities then glared at Sakura.

"What are you doing here Haruno?" He asked a bit embarrassed from the clumsy display.

Sakura didn't even flinch.

Naruto blinked. He took a small peak from his hiding place to confirm if the two intruders were indeed his classmates.

Sasuke quickly spotted him.

"Oi, get out of there you dobe." Sasuke called out.

Naruto went rigid.

Sakura's eyes widened and clutched the toy tightly to her chest.

Naruto sighed to himself and stood up. He dusted his clothing and turned his head at their direction, although he didn't directly look at them. He didn't notice Sakura advance towards him.

"Naruto no baka!" Sakura head-chopped Naruto.

Sasuke flinched and inched away from Sakura. Girls and their mood swings are scary. And besides, this is Sakura we're talking about.

"W-what the heck was that for!?" Naruto clutched his head and glared at Sakura, tears on the brim of his eyes.

"What do you mean '_what was that for'_? You know exactly why!" She took Naruto by the ear and twisted the auricle. "Hiding in a dangerous place like this will get you killed one of these days!" Sakura shouted at him and then let go. Naruto rubbed his ear and intensified his glare.

"Stay out of my business will ya!" Naruto huffed out and crossed his arms. A vein throbbed on Sakura's forehead. "It's not like anyone's gonna worry when I die."

"You idiot!" Sakura punched him on the face.

Sasuke watched the scene, uninterested. He had opted to sit down in one of the dusty chairs as soon as the squabble had begun. He nervously twiddled with the toy he brought with him and looked at Naruto. He needed to get this over with or he'll just run away again.

"Will the two of you stop it already?" Sasuke ordered. Both instantaneously stopped, Sakura mid-way of her head-chop and Naruto shielding himself from her attacks.

Sasuke sighed and quickly threw the toy at Naruto, which he caught awkwardly with both hands.

Naruto's eyes widened while his jaw became slack. He looked up at Sasuke shocked, who by then had his back turned on them. Sasuke let out a small cough and tried to cover the tinge of red blooming on his chubby cheeks.

Naruto could hardly believe it. It was the latest edition of an _Ultraman nexus action figure_. The toy Naruto always blabbed about in school. He had always shouted to everyone how he loved the show and he'll surely buy one of the limited editions.

He looked up at Sasuke again. He remembered.

"Ah! That's perfect then!" Sakura exclaimed. Both Naruto and Sasuke looked at her curiously. She grinned at both before snatching the toy from Naruto's hands earning a small protest from the infamous prankster. He was quieted down when Sakura shoved the toy back to him.

She stuck out her tongue at him while her cheeks became red like Sasuke's.

Naruto's eyes widened even more.

One of the limited edition's accessories of the Ultraman Nexus was _attached _to the toy. He looked at the toy and his classmates.

"I'm going." Sasuke mumbled embarrassedly then hurriedly walked out of the room.

"Ja ne Naruto." Sakura followed Sasuke out.

"O-o-oi! Matte!, I can't take this!!" Naruto shouted out but both ignored the pathetic protest. Naruto looked back at the toy and grinned.

Tears fell down from his cheeks to the combined toy that Sasuke and Sakura gave him. He wiped of his tears with his arm and grinned at the latest edition of the Ultraman Nexus action figure. He held it up above his head while the setting sun illuminated his latest treasure.

He stood up and quickly left the rotten building. He looked up at the monument again, and then smiled.

This time a happy kind of smile.

**99999999**

The people around the streets stared at Sakura and Sasuke when both children came out of the building covered in dust and cobwebs. Sasuke nodded to Sakura, ignoring the curious stares that the villagers were giving him, before walking the opposite direction. Sakura smiled at Sasuke's retreating form and then at the old abandoned building before returning to her (frantic) mother.

Ah. It was a good day after all.


End file.
